By Douglas Pils
Oct. 13, 2024
TROY, Texas — Watching Nash Pils’ photography journey allows me to see so many things.
The best of those are reactions and smiles Nash captures with his images. I think the joy he brings out has a lot to do with how he connects with people.
Our hope is that photography can be something he relies on as a career as he gets older. We have no idea what that will look like, but each time he shoots an event we hope he learns skills he can use to reach that goal.
I like to leave him on the sideline on his own as much as possible, so he develops the ability to do things on his own, to give him his independence.
That’s easy to do at Franklin home games. He knows what to do, where he can be and how to best get out of the way. He’s also got friends to talk to, clown around with and just be a normal kid.
That’s a bigger part than many realize for an 18-year-old senior with Down syndrome.
Different road mindset
When the Lions play on the road, I feel it’s necessary to be on the field. I worry that not everyone who sees a young man with Down syndrome next to the field will feel like he belongs.
Fortunately, that hasn’t happened. There’s always a concern about getting hurt by players running off the field. Some have expressed that fear.
Again, fortunately, that has never happened. I’m the only one to get hurt. During the 2023 playoffs, I stupidly answered my phone and didn’t step away from the sideline. It’s OK, Blake Autrey. It was my fault.
Flag the photographers?
On Friday in Troy, Texas, we almost made some history alongside senior running back Jayden Jackson becoming Franklin’s all-time leading rusher.
After several controversial penalty calls in the first half, the line judge referee on the Franklin sideline told all the photographers to “move back to the track.”
I asked or said something about us being allowed in the green area of the sideline behind the white box just off the field. He said he needed room to run.
In no way did any of us ever impede his “room to run.”
I made one more comment about us never being told to shoot photos from the track.
He said, “I’m going to tell you one more time.”
Things I wanted to say included something such as, “Do you really want to keep the kid with Down syndrome from shooting pictures?” Or, “you are being the special one here.”
Found a good spot
Instead, we moved back and all I said from the track was, “In 30-something years on the sideline, you’re the first one I’ve ever seen do this.”
A Franklin assistant asked us to do what he said, so for the most part we did.
Much of what Nash shot after this was behind the line of scrimmage on offense, no matter which offense was on the field.
That helped him be in the right spot to capture Jackson’s record-clinching 75-yard fourth-quarter run, so thanks.
Happy to blend in
I told a few administrators and coach Mark Fannin about us flirting with a 15-yard, personal foul penalty. All said they would have been OK with Nash drawing that flag.
“I think I actually would have enjoyed that,” Fannin said.
I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it in the moment since it would been my mouth getting us in trouble. Still, it makes a good almost story.
So, I’m thankful all we got to enjoy was Jackson’s 286 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries, giving him 6,461 career yards so far. He’s got four more regular-season games and we’re hopeful for six more in the playoffs.
That would give Nash 10 more chances to keep telling stories from the sideline as a high school senior. Ten more chances to learn and be a normal high school student.
Remember to go follow Nash’s work on Instagram @NashPilsPhoto and Facebook, also @NashPilsPhoto.
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